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I work on the past and present exploitation of marine mammals in the
Caribbean basin. By comparing the results obtained for different
countries where these practices were or continue to be common, I have
concluded that for each country the utilization of those resources
followed a different path due to cultural differences among those
countries. For example whaling in Becquia has been directly influenced by
New England whalers, specializes in large animals, and continues to this
day; the one in Grenada was set up by the Norwegians, concentrated on
humpback whales, and operated for only three years in the 1920's; in
Trinidad it was established by the local elite with very little, if any,
foreign influence, concentrated on humpbacks, and lasted between 1820s and
1880s; the one in Venezuela was established by small scale fishers,
concentrated on small cetaceans, and continues to this day. In all cases,
they have resulted in the total or partial depletion of local populations.
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